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It’s a New Year’s Appreciation Post!

(This is really just a more detailed and appreciative version of my post “So yea…2016”)

This year has been pretty shit hasn’t it? Many wonderful and influential people died, Donald Trump aka the big orange cheeto got elected as president, and Mike Pence (where are his eyebrows?) came with him as a package deal.

Although this year was pretty bad, we got through it, and things will get better. I am now going to take a moment and appreciate all the wonderful people who have entered my life, and all the wonderful opportunities that have come my way this year.

JANUARY

After the new years, I went back to school, took 3 pretty cool courses, and 1 that was pretty hellish.

But before school started, I learned to bake cheesecakes, and not to brag lol, but they were delicious!

I went to a food truck festival with one of my best friends Alex. and although he’s a total pain in the ass kind of a nuisance, he’s still pretty fucking cool. Tried a Fools Gold grilled (cheese) sandwich, and it really wasn’t as good as Elvis Presley hyped it up to be.

Another one of my best friends, Stefanie (she is the mom friend and I adore her immensely), turned 20 years old! Her, Alex and I went to The Rogue to celebrate.

I wrote my first article for SFU’s The Peak newspaper!!! Being published has always been a dream of mine, (no matter how small the publication) and IT HAPPENED!!

FEBRUARY

OH SHIT LOOK AT THIS!

why is alex dang’s face so large?

I asked the arts editor if I could write an article on spoken word poetry, and she gave me the go ahead. I wrote about four slam poets whose words I adore.

At the time of publication, this was one of the coolest things that I have ever done, but I’ve had the opportunity to do cooler things!

Sarah Kay, you’re a bae

Speaking of spoken word poetry…I got the opportunity to attend Sarah Kay’s poetry recital. I went with Stefanie, and it was a super magical night! I have never heard someone recite poetry with that much passion and brilliance. Not a single poem left me with dry eyes. I TEARED UP. Before we left, we each wrote her a poem. I did not bring any money to buy her book. #regret

I tried my hand at making crème brulée. SUCCESS!

I watched Brooklyn 3 times, cried more than 3 times, and hoped Saorise Ronan would win for Best Actress. She didn’t. I was displeased.

MARCH

I discovered new bands: Angus & Julia Stone and Oh Wonder

Went to Burrard Skytrain Station, took a mediocre photo of cherry blossoms. But then I colour corrected it on Instagram, and voila! It looks gorgeous!

lol this girl’s timing was perfect

I started working out twice/three times a week, and I felt much less icky. I had more energy, and it also helped my grades. Too bad I started work again in the summer and stopped going. Goodbye gains…

I watched a short film called “Blue Sushi” and it helped me figure out my gender identitiy. For the first time in my life, I found a term to label the way I was feeling. I am “genderqueer”, which is under the non-binary umbrella. I honestly cannot thank this short film enough.

APRIL

Became addicted to How I Met Your Mother.

AFTER SIX YEARS OF TRYING TO CONVINCE MY MOTHER, SHE FINALLY LET ME DYE MY HAIR PURPLE (well…dip dye. We compromised). I used Manic Panic it was shit for a while before switching to Arctic Fox it wasn’t shit.

MAY

Finished watching How I Met Your Mother.

look at this hipster b&w pic I took

A close friend Vlad treated Alex and I to lunch at a $4.95 restaurant/pub. Thanks fam.

Stefanie, Alex and I went to an acoustic night at the Café Deux Soleil café on Commercial. Stefanie finally introduced me to another one of my best friends, Anna (I also appreciate/adore her immensely. She is a poetry goddess). I still remember her “back off, he’s mine” comment about her partner (to be fair, I had just met Anna, so excuse me for the creepiness). I found it super cute and funny.

Aaaaaand because I don’t believe in new friend awkwardness, I invited Anna to the CJSF 90.1 FM volunteer appreciation party. We bonded over pizza and a loud punk band. We also drank quite a bit. One more beer and the both of us would have been drunk.

great music, but played far too loud for that little room

I also sold away my summer to Playland (again). For four months, I forgot the meaning of “free time”.

JUNE

Now, I don’t quite remember when André and I met, but I believe it was in June? But anyways, André is THE saltiest person I know, my pasta buddy, and the only person who can still be hungry after eating an entire footlong at Subway.

I tried. I tried really hard to continue hosting a radio show while I worked and went to school, but alas, my efforts lasted like 3 weeks.

Went downtown with Vlad again. He took a tryhard photo of me leaning against an art covered pole.

While at Playland, I figured out I was bisexual (crushed on one of the supervisors). And after a couple months, I realized that I’m more pansexual (there are many non-ninary cuties out there)

Bought baking supplies in preparation to bake my own birthday cake.

JULY

I TURNED 20!!

Went out with a few of my closest friends: Alex, Stefanie, Vlad, Julien (I can’t believe we’ve known each other for 7 years. Go us!), Serena (you’re so cool), and Bryan. We went to eat dinner at a fancy af restaurant (Flying Pig) in Gastown, for dessert we ate the birthday cake I made (#prideandjoy), and we went to karaoke (let’s promise to never sing “Hey Jude” again).

birthday shenanigans

Received a penny board from Vlad, learned to ride it, and I actually seemed cool.

Went to Khatsalano! with a bunch of my friends and we forgot to check out the local bands playing because we were having too much fun playing giant jenga, having wrestling matches dressed in food sumo suits, and trying to find the best food trucks.

Went to the Panic! At The Disco and Weezer concert with Vlad, and I sang along so loud I almost lost my voice.

Panic! At The Disco (left) and Weezer (right)

To end July, I attended the annual Vancouver Pride Parade!! This was an especially important year because I came out! I unexpectedly got to march in it as a part of CJSF with my friends Serena, Stefanie and Kenneth.

AUGUST

Started Blog Every Day in August, and I post as many blog posts as I wanted to. Out of 30 days, I posted 15 (maybe?) posts.

I went to Playland as a guest with Alex, was very fun, I ate a lot of food, and I kept criticising the employee at the Merry-go-round because I worked there and he wasnt doing his job correctly!

Stefanie and I went to Stanley Park! We travelled around 2/3 of the seawall. I skated around on my penny board while she carried my backpack and walked (the real MVP, tbh).

here is a candid shot of Stefanie looking wistfully into the distance

Went to another concert, this time it was cheap as heck at Playland! I went with Julien to see one of my ALL TIME favourite bands Simple Plan (12 year old me would have been so happy). Despite having not listened to them in years, I knew almost every word from every song.

Since I had to work with two people (Kaya & Tanner) for 2 weeks straight, I became friends with them: Kaya, you’re hella adorable and cool and I should talk to you more.

Lol Tanner I bother you on almost a daily basis (you must h8 me by now). I think you’re pretty cool and the greatest memelord ever.

SEPTEMBER

I started school again. Ew.

I wrote an album review (Side-B – Carly Rae Jepsen [check it out]) for The Peak.

It was André’s 20th birthday! Welcome to the senior home my friend!

It was also Annabel’s birthday! She probably did a lot of online shopping.

Went to Anton’s Pasta with a whole bunch of friends to celebrate birthdays.

I wrote a poem (“It was a Wednesday”) and I’m glad I wrote it, no matter how painful the process of writing it was.

OCTOBER

School happened. Midterms happened.

I got depressed. It was a pretty dark time. But I’m tremendously thankful to all my friends for helping me get through it. I don’t know where I’d be without you guys.

Dressed up as Rosie the Riveter for Halloween. Feminism FTW!

I had the opportunity to see As It Is (one of my FAVE pop punk bands) perform live and I interviewed the lead singer Patty Walters!!! This was a DREAM come true!

As It Is being perfect and shit

NOVEMBER

Did not buy reduced Halloween candy. That was a mistake.

Went to Anton’s Pasta with André a couple of times (this is why I need to go work out again).

Wrote a few papers for school. Started prepping for final exams.

DECEMBER

Final exams happened. They went well. (Thank you so so much Anna for helping me study for my HSCI final. Without your sacrifice, I would have come out of that exam room probably crying)

Sent in my invoice to The Peak to get paaaaaaiiiiid. Only wrote 2 articles, so only got paid $40 (still ca-ching! worthy IMO).

Finished the proposal for a LGBTQ+ radio show that I want to start producing and hosting next term. Super excited!

Winter break! Went to see Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them with friends, and I cried twice during it (Anna gave me a “but why??” face for it).

Hung out with my parents and gave them Christmas presents, went out with parents to run errands a lot. How many times did I even stay home???

NYE plans fell through. Fuck you snow.

Lastly, I am going to Denny’s and a pub tomorrow with a bunch of friends.

AANNND THAT’S IT FOR MY APPRECIATION POST / YEAR IN REVIEW! Yo, if you read through this entire thing, give yourself a pat on the back.

Thank you to people on the internet who read my blog posts, you rock!

If there are any friends who I forgot to mention in this post, you also rock!